PEARL MILLET DOWNY MILDEW: PREVALENCE AND IMPACT IN FARMERS FIELDS IN THE MARADI REGION OF NIGER

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is grown mainly in the arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and India. In Niger, pearl millet cultivation accounts for over 66% of the total cultivated area and constitutes 68% of total cereal production. However, its production is hampered by multiple constraints, including pearl millet downy mildew caused by Sclerospora graminicola. This is one of the most destructive diseases, causing losses of up to 50% in smallholder farming systems. The aim of this study is to assess the production losses caused by this disease each year in pearl millet fields in Niger. The study was carried out during the 2020 wet season, when the pearl millet was at the maturity stage. The sampling method involved randomly selecting, every ten to thirty kilometers along the national road (RN1) and secondary roads, a millet field covering an area of at least 1 hectare. Within this field, five (5) small sample plots, each comprising 12 squares, were marked out four plots at the four (4) corners of the field and a fifth plot in the center of the field. Once the plots had been marked out, data on the incidence and severity of mildew, as well as the percentage of millet ear losses due to this disease, were recorded.